(12/04/08 Update: I'm currently cleaning up the dead đường dẫn in this article. bạn can also link

Ahh Christmas. The tree, the stockings, the mistletoe and - of course - the holiday ti vi programming.

Some of my fondest giáng sinh memories were spent in front a of ti vi watching such classics as the animated Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer hoặc one of the myriad versions of Dickens' 'A giáng sinh Carol'.

So without further ado, I am presenting bạn with my big, big danh sách of holiday specials. I've tried to categorize the danh sách into subsections to make it a little thêm bearable and consumable. The...

Back when I was a kid watching giáng sinh specials on TV, Mrs. Claus was invariably portrayed as a sweet but dowdy older woman of slightly plump stature. She could cook a mean pie and reminded bạn of your Grandma. Of course, we loved her and so did Santa.

But did bạn ever wonder what Mrs. Claus might have looked like when she was younger? I mean, I assume she must've be smokin' (natch).

So why is it that so many of the classic holiday programs hiển thị us a Santa Claus surrounded bởi androgynous little elves and a matronly Mrs. Claus? I mean, it's cold up at the North Pole. Surely Santa isn't adverse...

Santa Claus would need a hell of a lot more reindeers than this to tow that massive amount of loot for all the world's Christian children...

This is a reprint of a classic bài viết that ran in the now defunct Spy Magazine about 15 years cách đây hoặc so. This bài viết is all over the internets now, though few sites properly attribute the original source. In any event, here's the reprinted text to this holiday classic.

Consider the following:

1) No known species of reindeer can fly. But there are 300,000 species of living organisms yet to be classified, and while most of these are insects and germs, this does not COMPLETELY rule out flying reindeer which only Santa has ever seen.

Mistletoe, in older times, was believed to have protective properties and was hung to ward off evil spirits. Celts believed that mistletoe, a parasitic plant that grows on trees, had special powers that could heal diseases, make poisons harmless, protect against evil spells and bring fertility to childless women. For many years, Christian places of worship did not allow it inside because of its pagan associations. But nowadays it is mostly used as an excuse to steal a kiss.

The origin of our tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is Mất tích in the mists of antiquity. Some say it probably stemmed...

In Greece when we talk about the "holidays" we are referring to the holiday period of Christmas, New năm and Epiphany.Traditionallythe giáng sinh holiday period lasts 12 days in Greece. There are many customs associated with the "twelve ngày of Christmas," some very old and others relatively recent, like the decorated cây and the turkey on the Christmas-day table.Historically,in 354 A.D. it was arranged for the birth of Christ to be celebrated on December 25, the same ngày that they celebrated the birth of the ancient god Mithra, known as the "invincible sun god" and god of all solar deities...

Since we're all still in giáng sinh mood, here is my comparison for both the 1966 animated short with its live action film made in 2000.

1966 Animated Short

This animated short that started it all! I tình yêu the vibrant and how colourful this animated cartoon, it's whimsical phim hoạt hình style will make bạn tình yêu this cartoon and Dr. Seuss, his artwork fascinates people even in today's generation, the theme song 'You're Mean One, Mr. Grinch!' has even been covered in the TV series, 'Glee' that I could not get it out of my head after listening to it recently.

Not a người hâm mộ of your traditional giáng sinh music? Here's a danh sách of hard giáng sinh songs from all over the metal spectrum! If bạn have any thêm suggestions feel free to drop them in the comments.

'Tis the season to be jolly!I have had to remind myself of this fact constantly in the past week for I have had probably the most stressful week of 2008. All I wanted was to be in readiness and organized for my favourite time of năm but things do not always go as planned.I decide to do some trang chủ renovations and paint my house back in September, the house did not really need a revamping but I was bored and thought it was time for a change. Little did I imagine that only a few days before giáng sinh the house would still be looking like a hurricane had swept through it.I decided to get rid of...

I wrote this short song, based upon "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". It has been effectively retitled "Santa Claus is bringing bạn down".You're going to shoutYou're going to cryYou're going to pout, and I'm telling bạn whySant Claus is bringing bạn down!He knows when bạn are knocked outHe knows when you're in painHe knows when to cú đấm hoặc notAnd his wallops will drive bạn insane, woah!Sant Claus is bring bạn down!Yeah, Santa Claus is bring bạn down!Yeah, Santa Claus is bringing bạn DOWN!

I wrote this other, slightly longer song, based upon "Frosty the Snowman" and effectively retitled "Frosty...

In Germany, today is the First Advent – meaning the first of the for Sundays before Christmas. It is often the last Sunday in November, but this year, it happens to be exactly on December first. Advent is here the time we spend in preparation for the giáng sinh celebrating, lighting one candle every Sunday.

The sixth of December is a very special day, Nicholas day. The prior evening, everyone in the house is cleaning their largest pair of shoes and putting it in front of the fireplace (or another special place). The tiếp theo morning, the shoes are filled with sweets – if the children have been...

If you're looking for a festive look that doesn't scream "CHRISTMAS!", try out a sparkly sequinned dress! It's a được ưa chuộng look with all kinds of celebs.

Taylor Swift, Jordin Sparks, Beyonce, Hilary Duff, Katy Perry, and Kristen Stewart have all shone in shiny dresses. It's a great look to wear to any holiday event bạn might have coming up (a party, a school dance, a girls' night, etc. etc.)

Here are some options we found from Delia's. This one is a light grey dress with a smattering of sparkles and a flouncy skirt. The một giây one only has sparkles on the hàng đầu, đầu trang and a cute bow at the waist. And the third option is an all-over sequins look!

Remember when life was simple and everyone wore jellies, leg warmers, and parachute pants? If so, bạn were lucky enough to have lived some years in that crazy time of the 80’s. All bạn had to worry about was school and what GI Joe bạn were getting this năm (please God, let it be Storm Shadow)? Well, this danh sách is a flashback to those fun times of the 80's. Whether bạn were 8 hoặc 38 in the 80’s, you’ll enjoy this blast from the past. I’ve included all the best of cartoons, sit-coms, holiday specials, âm nhạc video and commercials. So sit back, relax, and pop up the cổ áo of your polo...

I really enjoy the giáng sinh season. I tình yêu the phim chiếu rạp that get played every year. I tình yêu the giáng sinh âm nhạc radio station. I tình yêu the lights. I tình yêu the snow. I tình yêu the togetherness. I tình yêu the Claymation. I tình yêu wrapping presents. I tình yêu unwrapping presents. I tình yêu making cards and presents for my Những người bạn and my teachers. I tình yêu going to the mall and finding the perfect gift. I tình yêu going shopping with my friends. I tình yêu the classroom giáng sinh parties that are against school rules. I tình yêu going to Petsmart with my mom to get vớ, thả, còn hàng stuffers for my cats. I tình yêu waking up early on Christmas...

Another Holiday season is upon us and bạn know what that means: break out the egg nog, light up the tree, put up the stockings, take out a một giây mortgage for the credit card bill and ngọn lửa, chữa cháy up The Carpenter's giáng sinh album (turn it up to 11, will you?).

It also means it's time for another danh sách of giáng sinh video goodies.

So kick back and get ready to enjoy another batch of holiday fun. Oh, and in case bạn missed last year's danh sách be sure to check out link

So without further ado...

The EssentialsI'm reposting these from last year's danh sách because these are the items most people want to see....

In 1984, a group of well-intentioned musicians got together to form the charity group Band Aid to raise money for famine in Ethiopia with their release of the super được ưa chuộng song, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" On the surface, to hear someone claim to "hate" such a song makes that person seem like a complete and total Grinch. How could bạn hate a song that raised money for famine victims, hoặc brought awareness to the plight in Ethiopia? Right?

So allow me to explain my frustration with the song. Most people tình yêu the song, for its warm message and altrusitic intentions. I myself even link on a...